MAFFIN BAY, DUTCH NEW GUINEA on August 15. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1941
 Positions were occupied within the Division perimeter es-
 tablished for the protection of MAFFIN BAY and theI THART L
 large Air Force installations on WAKDE ISLAND just off
 shore.
 At 1000 hours on August 17 the battalion fired its first OP T N
 concentration in actual combat. Master Sergeant Bradley
 T. Shaw, Sergeant Major, gave the command to fire the
 first round. The first combat mission-direct support of a -
 combat patrol from the 1st Battalion 155th Infantry-was A WA
 assigned to the battalion on August 22. This patrol was LOUISIANA WAR
 to cross WOSKE River, proceed northwest up the coast
 of MAFFIN BAY, cross SAWAR Creek and destroy all
 enemy supplies and installations between SAWAR Creek Hold Highly-Rated
 and METIMEDAN Creek. Liaison Sections 1 and 3 and
 A and C Battery forward observer parties accompanied Force in Tracks
 the patroL
 On August 28 the same mission was assigned to the
 3rd Battalion 155th Infantry. Liaison Section 3, forward WITH THE 116TH ON LOUISI-
 observer parties from the three firing batteries and .ANA MANEUVERS, Sept. 20.-(Spe-
 communication sections from Headquarters Battery ac- cial.)-The 116th field artillery had a
 Roman holiday Thursday and Friday
 companies the patrol. The enemy, because of the similar when they pinned the highly pub-
 nature of the mission and actions, were better prepared. licized second army's mechanized di-
 Anti-personnel mines and booby traps were numerous. vision to the ground 40 miles north-
 All open areas on the route, particularly in and around A newspaper oer A Heenrl Tmpa, colonel
 SAWAR Airdrome had machine guns sighted on them. clipping from mander of the 116th, announced to-
 Enemy mortar concentrations fell on the trail and snipers a Tampa, Fla., day..
 had occupied strategic positions in trees and on the newspaper. Early Thursday morning 116th re-
 ground. A 20 minute artillery preparation was fired on onnaissane parties discovered itha
 SAWAR Creek to proceed the attack. After considerable the position of friendly infantry and
 fighting in which many casualties were inflicted on the were forming to strike the 116th on
 enemy the patrol returned. Among the many Japs killed its right flank.
 two snipers were killed by members of the artillery par- They Couldn't Break Through
 ties during the return. Immediately, 75-millimeter guns
 On the evening of August 28 one round of enemy wee amored diviionk the advance oun
 artillery fire landed within 75 yards of the CP but no emplacements not only surprised the
 casualties resulted. enemy tanks and armored cars, but
 On September 1 the artillery of the 33rd Infantry Di- denied them an opportunity of de-
 vision took over the fires of the battalion and preparations oyinghand T euveringe comll eak-
 were started for the next operation. make frontal attacks for which the
 116th was already set to meet.
 MOROTAI ISLAND Throughout Thursday and until
 On September 9 the battalion was loaded on LCM's and conclusion of the problem Friday
 afternoon, the Florida artillerymen
 taken aboard the Landing Ship Dock-USS CARTER had the mechanized enemy covered.
 HALL-for the amphibious assault on MOROTAI Island. and partially immobilized, while
 The first objective of the assault force was to sieze the friendly infarltry prevented the sec-
 southwest tip of MOROTAI Island including the PITOE rndough infatry from spreadlgt
 Airdrome (started by Japs but later abandoned) and to The preliminary score for the 116th
 establish protection around an area sufficient to build is: 55 light tanks "destroyed," 10 ar-
 supply and air installations. The 116th Field Artillery mored cars "Captured or destroyed."
 and 31 of the ll6th's 75-millimeter
 Battalion was in direct support of the 155th Infantry for guns "destroyed." It will be several
 the assault. weeks before a complete digest of the
 The morning of D-Day September 15 found the CAR- engagement is available.
 TER HALL in HALAMEHERA SEA standing approxi-
 mately 10,000 yards off shore while a naval bombard-
 ment was delivered on the landing beaches. At H-- 30 the
 first wave of the battalion in six LCM's containing Battery Red Beach, Morotai.
 A, Communications and Fire Direction Sections of Head-
 quarters Battery, 1st Platoon Company A, 98th Chemical- -
 Battalion attached and the Battalion Commander and part
 of his staff, landed on the south (right) edge of Red
 Beach. It was only two hours before extreme low tide and
 the landing beach was found to be obstructed by a coral
 and mud reef approximately 300 feet wide. Much diff-
 culty was encountered in getting personnel and equipment
 ashore. Vehicles were soon stalled in the mud. With the
 assistance of an LVT which had come in with the first
 waves of the infantry, the four howitzers were extracted,
 towed to position and were read to fire by 0945. The sec-
ond wave containing B Battery experienced the same

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